Virtual Hogwarts
by ekleenex
Summary: Some of our story at VH...
1. DADA 2

Bon, pour toutes les personnes qui ont lu ma fic Etude des Moldus, Et non ce n'est pas une nouvelle fic que je commence, c'est juste un petit quelque chose sorti de l'inspiration de mon amie Orion...;)

Lisez si ça vous intéresse... Vive Virtual Hogwarts! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter, and this plot belongs to Orion...;)

* * *

OCC : For those interested, I repost here the 2 DADA homeworks which are related to the story. 

DADA Homework Lesson 2

Professor Toothill's assignment :

Rp the lesson and taking the potion (which allows you to meet your good side and your bad side). Remember, you can only talk with your other selves. As a precaution the potion will wear off immediately if something wrong starts to happen. Be prudent with what you write, I don't want to hang out detention for overly creative students...

Orion took place among the pupils to get a sip from the vial. Once arrived in front of the desk, Professor Leon gave her a little glass. She thanked him and went back to her seat. She stared at the glass during one or two minutes, wondering if it was a good idea. She was quite afraid meeting her wrong side, but decided to get over her fear and take it anyway.

She drank it, it hadn't a bad taste, green tea and lotus. She felt light-headed almost immediately, and had to put her head in her arms on her desk. She saw the classroom and the other pupils spin faster and faster and everything went black.

Orion woke up with a start. She slowly disentangled her arms and lifted her head, closed her eyes and started to say : "Oh, Professor, your potion didn't work, it just made me sleep..." but after having pronounced the first words, she stopped, intrigued by the lack of sound. She opened her eyes to discover she was completely alone in the classroom.

She thought : _"Why didn't they wake me up, instead of letting me asleep on my desk like that ?"_. She stood and walked towards the door. She opened it and took the direction of the 2nd floor, wanting to apology to Professor Toothill, because she had fallen asleep during his class. She climbed the stairs absent-mindly and automatically took a peer thru the window. She stopped. Nite had already fallen. Orion got suddenly panicked, what was the time, why nobody had awoken her ? What was that mess ? She went to the DADA offices and knocked the door. Nobody. Orion swore and headed to the stairs, decided to go to bed. She would apology the next day.

She stepped in the Ravenclaw Tower and headed to her room. She had her hand on the doorknob when she heard the fainted sound of footsteps. She turned her head toward the sound, slightly panicked, thinking it would be a teacher or a prefect who had caught her. She squinted her eyes to see who would come and just caught sight of two shadows moving away. Puzzled, Orion made a move to enter in her room but stopped. Her mind was telling her to follow the shadows, so she did. She made a run to catch them and got out of the tower. She followed them thru the stairs and the corridor of the 7th floor. It was lit by moonlite, but Orion couldn't see any of the shadows' distinct features. She carried on running and finally arrived at the door of the Astronomy tower. The shadows disappeared here and Orion stopped, thinking that she shouldn't have followed ghosts. The door opened and Orion, surrounded by a strange inspiration, entered. She climbed the steps slowly, not knowing whom she would be in front of upstairs. When she arrived at the top step, she looked up and almost fainted from the shock. She grabbed the banister, to prevent herself from falling down the stairs and affronted the vision. She suddenly understood that the potion had worked. Here, in front of her, were standing the two shadows, and were just like her. They were a little faded, you couldn't see them exactly. Several minutes passed. What did Professor Toothill had said ? Orion tried to remember and almost heard him talking in her head :

_"So, what this potion will do once you have taken a little sip, is that it will make you fall in a trance like state. You will be face by two exact replicas of you. To simplify, I will say that one of them is your dark side, while the other is your good side. They can only, and I mean only, talk to you if you are faced with them. Also, you will get to know your ideals, your principles, in resumes, those things you would die protecting. I must say that you will see your extreme opposites, it does not mean you are going to end one way or another. The human being is more complex than that."_

Orion just thought at that little part : _'...They can only, and I mean only talk to you if you are faced with them...'_

What did he mean by facing them ? Accept them ? But they were a part of her very soul, how could she not accept them ?

The two shadows became more precise suddenly. Orion stared at them. At first, when they were not so clear, she had thought she was looking at two exact replicas of herself, but now, she could notice the little changes between the two. One was perfectly neat in a blue kimono, her hair, perfectly combed in a traditional Japanese hairstyle. The other was messier, but not in a nasty way. Disheveled but not neglected. Light and Dark, but with so little difference. What did that mean ? The doubles moved a little and reached each other hand. Orion grasped at this and the two apparitions smiled. Orion let her surprise out :

"Why are you holding hands ?"

The good side and the bad side looked at each other before the good one answered :

OOC: The bad side is bold and the good side is underlined...

"We were expecting that question. But I must answer to another unsaid question before that. Why can you see us clearer than at the beginning ? Just because you thought yourself that you had to accept us....

**-... which is a good thing, don't worry, carried on the bad one, Not every people can do that, and I think some of them will spend time to finally find their sides. Some won't.. As for your question, if we hold hands, it's just to show you that you are perfectly balanced between lite and dark. Ok, a little bit more for the good side, but you won't fall in either of your two extremes...**

-... apart if you don't pay attention. Which may happen because everybody is tempted one day or the other... Let me see what your Professor did say, oh yes, we've to tell you your ideals, principles and so on...Well, for the good points, you are very courageous.

**- But you think you're weak.**

- Which is not true.

**- But the fact you think you're weak is embarrassing, because it prevents you from doing a lot of things you should do. You love staying alone for example, but you...**

- ... should make a little effort to go towards the others. They've got things to teach you, and you've got things to teach them. That weakness may loose you, so be careful about it.. There's also one thing, say it dear :

**- Thank you. You don't have any self-confidence. You've got the impression you're not interesting, that the others will reject you because you think you've got nothing in your brain.**

- It's not true, you're just different from the others..

**- But you didn't accept this difference yet. So try...**

- Ok, is the little morality lesson is finished yet ?"

Orion was annoyed in herself because these two diabolical selves had touched a sensible dot.

**"Don't be that way, it's not against us you are to be mad at, it's against those bad aspects. They could make you turn away from the path you're already following. You are of great power, but I think you still ignore that because you're only beginnier. But what did the Sorting Hat tell you ?**

- Euh, wait, I'm trying to remember..

_"Thinks This sorting would be so much easier if half of your thoughts weren't in another language. I'm a hat, not a linguist! Another one that wants Ravenclaw? So you must be the friend that the other one wanted to stay with. I can see why. It seems to be a deep friendship you feel for each other, she told me about the same thing... Wanting to be in Ravenclaw with you, that is. I don't normally take requests, so we'll have to look into your mind and see. Yes, yes, you are most certainly another thinker. You might even be a good Slytherin. All that ambition... What? No? Well, well, I think I made my mind, you're going to go to : **RAVENCLAW ! **"_

I certainly didn't want to go to Slytherin, first, I wouldn't have been with Andie, and from what I heard about them, I.. I should not listen to the others and see by myself, I know...

- You're right, check up everything by yourself. And of course, this is one of the aspects which is good on you, your heart and altruism. You would die to protect somebody you love, this is one of the most precious gift you can offer to somebody. But in the love you're giving, several things can make you go too far. You can suffocate people by being too possessive, and if you do, it will hurt you and it will hurt the other one. You can go too far in the fact of wanting to heal people from their pains. Helping them to ease their pain is good, but taking their pain on you, could make you die of it... And it's not good either, don't you think ?

- But I don't understand, I never...

**- Yes you did it with Andie. Not so much with others, but the more people you befriend with, the more you want to help. It's a quality, when you use it normally. But if you want to do it perfectly, there's going to be some problems... You know, I told you you had a great power, it's true, but if you listen to you wrong side that power will make your head swell... So just be careful.**

- Can I ask something ?

The apparitions nodded. Orion was sincerely surprised.

- How come you're so, peaceful ? Why don't you show me these things I could do ? Why do you warn me not to do this and that ? I thought that I would see my possible futures, but no, you just act like big sisters or I dunno...

- Of course, we could show what you could do, it's possible, but it's more interesting to talk about it rather than only showing.

**- Yes, you can think about it in that way. We don't want to appear as stereotypes. Oh, I can tell you, the wrong side of you wouldn't do terrible things, just silly and idiot things. And your good side would be too assiduous in doing the things in the most perfect way. These are the things you must not fall in, that's all because they are the first steps of more terrible things you could do in a way..**

- Look at the way we appear to you ? Neat, and a little less neat. How did you think we would be ? I think you were not that surprised to discover me like this, but as for your dark side, you certainly thought she would be surrounded by darkness and so on ? No.We have just one piece of advice for you.

**- Listen to your heart when you do things. You've got a pure heart, that's why I'm not vampire-like frightening... So listen to it, especially at the moment you doubt of everything and yourself. He'll give the best advice.**

- Go back now, I think you learned enough. And don't forget we're still in your heart and your mind..

The surroundings and the two replicas disappeared slowly. Orion felt herself diving in the blackness again, and yelled : "Thanks !!!".

She woke up in the classroom, which was, this time, full of people deep in their trance. Orion rubbed her eyes and smiled. She took out a parchment and began to write on it. Nothing appeared. She frowned. And suddenly, her quill escaped from her hand and manipulated by an invisible hand, began to write everything that had happened. The parchment was soon blackened by the ink. Then the quill lifted one more time to rest on the table. Orion put it in her bag, stood and headed to the Professor's desk, to hand back her homework...


	2. DADA 7

Disclaimer: I don't own anything concerning Harry Potter, and my friend Orion owns the plot of this little thing...;)

DADA Homework Lesson 7

Orion smiled and winked at Andie who was just behind her, and entered in the dark passages. She was not afraid of dark, and thought it would only be a piece of cake.. Sort of. She hadn't her wand, she had let it to Professor Toothill as he had required them to do.. No lite at all, it was first really blinding, but her eyes were getting used to it.

She walked, thinking about the strange reaction of Andie's parents, the fact they hadn't let her come back at Hogwarts before, the fact her sister had almost died, the fact Orion hadn't had any news at all from her own parents, who were on the place. She was worried about Andie too, she seemed to be so fragile, Orion had never seen her like that. The previous nite had been just... scaring. But Andie had released the pressure a little, fortunately.

She carried on walking, sometimes the path was getting up, sometimes down and she suddenly froze. Two things had startled her. The first one was a faint lite, meters away. And the second, a strange voice, she couldn't figure out the words it was telling. She first thought that the voice and lite belonged to a lost student of her class. She approached the lite slowly, without managing to reach it. The more she got nearer, the more it went away. Orion became to feel slightly panicked. 'Somebody is making a joke on me, I know it..."

She lost her confidence as rapidly as she was evolving. The voice became more and more louder, in the darkness that engulfed her. She could understand the words now, they were calling her and calling her names.

The voice was saying mean things now, such as :

_"Your Andie won't trust you anymore, that weirdo girl is just as weirdo as you are. She's nasty and got you even nastier. Listen to me, just let sink my horrible words in your little mind. I could compare you to card castle, I could blow on you and make your entire world collapsing. It could be so fun."_

Orion tried to shut her mind and her ears to the taunting, but the words were so close to her deepest fears. Hearing them, repeated and repeated made her feel more and more on the verge of tears. And the voice carried on...

_"Poor little ickle, you don't even know the truth concerning your weirdo friend's parents. They've been attacked by Death Eaters !!! And the next aim are your parents.. Didn't you know that ?"_

Orion moaned and started to sob, not wanting to believe that, she began to run to approach the lite faster, the voice's words _'They've been attacked by Death Eaters !!!'_ echoing in her mind.

She finally reached it, five minutes later, and thought she would die of shock when she saw two shadows standing there and holding a Japanese lantern. She almost yelled as she recognized them, the two sides, her good one and her bad one, in the same kimono and shape that during the trance induced by Professor Toothill's potion.

'I'm perfectly sure I didn't take this potion today ! What is that mess ?'

The voice had finally becoming silent.

Orion faced silently her two selves, wondering if they were here just to remind her their conversation or if they would talk. She looked down and blinked her tears. They reminded her the Japanese ghosts. Those weren't like any other ghosts, usually a woman in a white kimono, and long black hair on her eyes. They weren't mean or friendly. They were just here, not acting or anything, just frightening people by their simple presence.

Orion was so tired her legs couldn't support her anymore. She just slipped onto the floor, deprived of strengths. She began to cry earnestly, not knowing where and who she was anymore..

She felt a movement in front of her and looked up to see her selves sitting at each of her sides.

They both put an arm around her shoulder and began to rock her. Surprised, Orion almost got up, but was stopped by the voice, which raised again. Orion tried to ignore it, but the repeated horrors made it difficult. Her bad side said :

**- Well, if you want it to stop, just order it to stop..**

- It's not hard. You enslave yourself by listening to it, it wants you to believe what it's saying, so it's gonna repeat and repeat until you're convinced yourself.

**- And you'll begin to fall in the extremes we talked about the other day...**

- I can't understand anything anymore, why can I see you both ? Why am I hearing that voice ? Where is it coming from ? Why does it says Andie's parents were attacked ?

**- Dear, it's only the voice of your fears, your deepest fears, who's talking...**

- Nothing else.

- It says things I don't think, things I don't know..

- Yep, only because you're in a situation your mind releases itself. It's due to the fact you're in the dark.

**- Barriers fall and the mind is free. You imagine a lot of things, which can be true or false... Don't listen to it. Just get a grip on yourself and get out those passages, head up..**

- It's only that way you'll succeed.. Come one, on your feet now. We're not going to accompany you.

**- You'll be able only if you believe it..**

Orion stood up on her feet.

- Oh, and if you can see us, it's only because we will appear if you truly need us.

**- That was one occasion, just to show you what you'll have to face..**

- Thank you, I..

- We'll always be in your heart, so if you need us....

**- ... just listen to it.. It's your best guide.**

Orion nodded and after a last bow, the apparitions disappeared. Orion was in the dark again, the voice rose again. She muted it, despite of her growing fear of being alone again. She stepped hesitantly at first and then got her confidence back. When she found an exit, she was in the front of the Ravenclaw Tower's door. She didn't feel like going anywhere, and especially not in her dorm. She wanted to think about what she had just lived. She headed towards the Astronomy Tower, hoping it would be deserted..


	3. Summer Vacation 1

The term had finished and summer vacations were here. The students had all packed and taken the road to their homes.

Andie and Orion were along the others aboard the Hogwarts Express. They hadn't had any news from their parents about where they would go once arrived in London. Would they have to split up for two long months, or would they spend the summer together, they had no clue.

They had taken a compartment for themselves and had been sitting there, without talking or looking at each other since the beginning. Andie had soon chased the heavy boredom by picking up a book, but Orion hadn't been able to tear her gaze apart from the moving landscape.

Her mind was set on the problem only, somebody would have opened the door to shout "Surprise" that she wouldn't have moved. She had replayed the scene endlessly, still not knowing how her parents would react. She was getting hungry but didn't move an eyelash when the plump witch opened their door, her food trolley full of good things. Andie stood up to buy enough for them both. She then coaxed Orion, and the latter was obliged to escape from her world of suppositions.

"Come on, eat something." Andie said.

"Ok..."

They stayed silent for several minutes. Orion had the feeling nothing could fill the gap, so she asked The Question.

"What do you think's gonna happen ?"

"Dunno. I'm worried, but I'm sure they'll be at the station At least, I think they will... They should! Maybe we'll even be able to spend the summer together. I hope so! But we must ask as soon as we can."

Seeing Orion's mid fear expression, "Come on, they won't be angry at us. Why would they be? We have the right to ask."

"I know, but I can't help but feeling that way. I have the impression I'm a spoilt child overreacting with worry and fear, and anger. I can't understand why they didn't answer my letters. I hate being so resentful, but I can't help. You know me, I'm not like this, it wears off usually. But I let it grow up, and the most shameful is I almost took care of it, lovingly. Now the feeling has become a monster_..." She looked down gloomily._

"So the only way to solve it is to let it go. Just stop thinking about it! Try to sleep or take a book and read, don't concentrate on that. I don't know, think about dueling, Alex would surely be happy if you knew your spells by heart! Hey, why don't you go and look for her ?" Andie answered with a wink.

"First of all, I'm not letting you alone, second, she'll hex me if I disturb her.. I know her, or I think I do. I guess I'm gonna read." Orion shrugged.

* * *

Several hours later, the train finally reached London.

After having wished their friends goodbye, the two girls managed to get their suitcases out of the train.

Once off the train, they looked around to find their parents. But they were nowhere to be seen.

Orion suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and almost started when she saw it was her mentor. She shuddered and heard the familiar cackle in her mind.

Miss Alexandra Rhian's words

"Orion Hak-uao-ryu," she said slowly. There was an evil glint in her eye. She had been planning something: Something which would amuse her greatly. For, why not challenge all of her old pupils to see their progress? Then she could draw up a chart, and strategise duels between them, when her own duels ceased to amuse her due to lack of sufficient opponents. "Are you going to honour your dear mentor in giving her your first duel of the new term?"

Orion looked at her with a smile.

"Well, I would be happy to do so. Dueling you is always painful and hard, though it's an efficient way of learn. Hé hé.. So if you promise you won't damage me too much, I will, yes." She answered quietly. "I hope you'll spend good holidays. Would have been great if we could practice magic, I would have tried learning new spells..."

Alex left and the two girls sat down on their suitcases to wait.

"Don't tell me you're not worried now" Orion said, calmly.

Andie thought for a moment, then answered.

"They're just late. How many children here have their parents to fetch them? I'm I'm definitely the one who's going to hex you if you don't stop worrying..."

"Hé hé hé, wanna try me ?" Orion asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Andie poked tongue and got up.

"See, here they are. Youhou!!! Over here !" she shouted, trying to get their attention.

Orion stood up, feeling relieved when she saw her parents' smiling faces.

They hugged each other for a long time and the 2 men levitated the suitcases on a trolley.

"We're sorry", Manon, Andie's Mum, said, "it was kinda hard to park the car. It's really crowded outside."

"How was your trip ?" asked Altaïr, Orion's Mum.

"Long, uneventful and wor..." Andie interrupted herself, feeling Orion's elbow nudging her ribs, "well, nothing interesting."

"Not now", the other girl whispered and she nodded.

"Hey Mom, where is Sarah ?" Andie asked, to change the subject. She couldn't see her little sister anywhere.

"At home with your grand parents."

"What about your marks ? You didn't tell us much in your letters."

"Potions are so cool! And I had a O for my whole semester's work!" Andie started with a grin. "Oh, and Herbology is great too, and Transfiguration as well... But I really don't like Flying, and DADA is a bit boring..."

Orion was talking to her parents about her school year too.

"Potions, I had an O !!!!!!! DADA, I think it was an E.. These are the best of subjects... History of Magic was funny as well. Transfiguration and Charms, and Herbology ! We went to a lot of different places ! Even to Japan ! And I met somebody you know Daddy..."

"Hééé, who ?", Aoki asked, surprised.

"Your master, Asano Sama..."

"Oh, it's been a so long time I didn't see him.. How is he ?"

"Fine. He asked me to say hello. Oh, I learned how to duel too."

"Dueling? I thought you weren't allowed to duel before 3rd Year, at least at Beauxbâtons.." Nathan, Andie's father noticed.

"Nope, you can begin right in the first year at Hogwarts." Orion answered.

"And who taught you ?" her mother asked.

Orion smiled. Fond memories.

"Miss Alexandra Rhian, 2nd Year Ravenclaw." She said with a ceremonious tone.

"You seem to like her a lot, smiling like that. Wait... Rhian, it reminds me something, a great Russian dueler, isn't it ?" Altaïr said.

"Well, I can't tell you. She didn't talk a lot about her !.."

Andie chuckled. That was an understatement ! "I don't think she ever told anything about herself to anyone! She's very... Everybody fears her."

"Hey, you never met her, how can you tell that ?"

"Oh, come on, remember in what state you came back after your second duel with her ? She almost had to support you..."

"Well, dueling dangers..." Orion shrugged, "She can be kind, when she wants to be. She's a good mentor. I like her a lot."

"Who did you learned with darling ?" Manon asked, putting an arm around Andie's shoulders.

"Well, I dunno if I really want to duel! I mean, I feel it isn't for me. Plus the fact I had so much work to catch up I couldn't even think about it! Next year, I just hope I'll be able to be there during all the year..."

An uneasy silence fell. She hadn't been able to keep it down, it had to be said. Andie blushed and mouthed a 'Sorry' to Orion who nodded it ok.

Nathan was the first to talk after that. "Well, maybe it will be easier for you to be more present if...," Nathan hesitated," if you go to Beauxbâtons next year. Easier with the language and proximity..."

"What ?" The two girls had opened their mouths at the same time, and looked in disbelief at each other, quite astounded. They had stopped in the middle of the Muggle King Cross Station.

"Hey, no way I'm going there, we're perfectly used to Hogwarts. You can force me if you want, then I'll do something stupid such as running away." Orion said. English had come out of her mouth very naturally and she was containing herself to stay calm.

"What are you thinking about ? We have friends, we're totally integrated into the school, our school, we began there, we finish there." Andie added in the same language. She was hoping they both didn't sound too childish...

"You must be pretty worried about something to decide this without asking us. Oh, and by the way, we've got some questions..." Orion carried on in a quiet and dangerous voice, still in the same language.

The grown-ups looked at each other with a worried look on their faces.

"Girls, if we decided that, it's only for your security..." Altaïr tried in a soothing voice.

"What security ? What makes Hogwarts so dangerous ?" Orion cut her mother without letting her finish her sentence. Where could they be safer than at Hogwarts ?

"Well, you seem to forget there have been some attacks at the beginning of the year. Imagine what could have happened if one of you had been out of the common room during..." Aoki continued.

Orion didn't let her finish for the second time in the minute.

"False. We were both in France, plus there's an impressive number of Aurors watching the castle now. It's safe."

Andie thought a moment about the safety at Hogwarts. There hadn't been a single death, she knew it, and even those who had been wounded were fine now, and had been for several months!

She looked at Orion, who seemed to be thinking.

An idea popped in Orion's mind. She didn't know whether it was true or wrong but she tempted it anyway. "Besides, if I daresay, you decided this long before you heard about the attacks. I would bet on the day of the accident."

Seeing their faces fell, she knew she had been true. She started walking towards the exit with Andie as she carried on, switching to French.

"The four of you are hiding something to the little girls you think we are.. I disagree. We spent three years apart, communications in any way were forbidden. And then, pouf, I meet Andie aboard the Hogwarts Express. Oh, don't tell me you didn't know we were both at the same school. Then accident, and you two are in France, as if nothing had happened. What does it mean ?"

"Orion... " Altaïr's voice came.

Andie knew her friend wasn't going to stop there. She had been wondering about that for so long she needed answers to her questions...

"No, I won't stop. I may be acting childishly but I want to know. I want to know why I was left alone and with no news for so long ? Why you didn't let Andie come back ? Come on, tell me ! Mum and Dad, were you with Manon and Nathan when they had their supposed accident ? Or should I say attack ? Why were you unharmed ? Were you in separate cars ?"

Orion stopped to catch her breath. Walking and speaking at the same time wasn't an easy thing. They were in the street now, and it was packed with people who returned on them, hearing a fierce French conversation. Orion blushed slightly. She had made a mistake. She should have kept that for a more private place.

She glanced at Andie, who had stayed calm and quiet the whole time of her outburst. At least, she had not yelled but had managed to maintain, with difficulties, her composure. _'Good girl, you should have think about what you were taught, may it be by Alex or you own father. Control, what a beautiful word... Not only the appearance, but the mind as well.'_ She thought, angry at herself.

"Orion, that's enough. I doubt many people can understand French, but we're in the street. Let's wait to talk about that at home."

Both girls' faces fell at that word. 'Home' What did that mean?

Andie tried to know more about it.

"You mean, Ireland for you and Paris for us!..." she said in a bitter voice.

"No Andie," Manon corrected, "Ireland for us all. We'll all be back in Paris in August. For now, we're going to visit the beautiful country we heard so much about."

Seeing the happy faces, the grown-ups smiled. Aoki said : "Well, we want to explain you everything. We wanted to, we meant it. But... not now. It's not the place and time for that. Let's wait tomorrow, or at least, tonight. Everybody in the car now."

The two girls looked at each other before starting to walk again.

But Andie had a last question.

"When are we going to arrive to your house? It's gonna take hours..."

"Andie, this is a magic car, don't worry, we'll be in Dingle in no time." Manon answered, smiling.

They all got into the car and the girls soon fell asleep.

* * *

When Orion woke up, her first reaction was to wonder what had happened to her four poster bed and why she was lying in blue sheets. Then she heard the sound of a peaceful breathing just beside her and sat up. Her bedroom. Her blue bedroom, what a shock to see it as last! Just beside her bed was another, with green sheets. Her friend was sleeping. Orion checked her watch, 8.00 am. Definitely too early. She lied back, turned around and went back to sleep.

She was woken up by an excited Andie several hours later. "Come on, get up, the sun shines !" her friend said in a sing-song voice.

"If you don't shut up, I hex you... Too bad I don't have the strength stealer. Speaking of which, what's the deal with dueling ? You don't want to learn at all ?"

footsteps and sudden silence "Where did the girl go ?" footsteps back, still silence and splash.

A basin of water had just landed on Orion, and the latter jumped on her feet and on Andie to tickle her. "And you were criticizing dear Alex, she wouldn't have done worse ! Evil !"

"Girls !! Are you awake ?"

They stopped, frozen, and Andie said, a serious but ravenous look about her, "Come on, let's go, let's play truth and seek.."

They went down the stairs, crossed the living and the kitchen to finally arrive in the garden. Their parents were there, having breakfast. They had a perfect view of the sea. The girls said hello and sat down.

"Ok, I don't think you'll want to wait any longer, so we're going to explain. Just a question though. How did you mature these suspicions, pumpkins ?"

"Ah ah ah, very funny Dad," Orion answered without even looking at him, "It would be too long to explain. Just begin."

"You've become quite ironic, good girl." Altaïr smiled and carried on, "But answer the question. I will just tell you that from what we heard yesterday, you were rather correct. And it would be interesting to know how you did reach that point..."

Here it was, her highest fears were confirmed. Orion swallowed and looked at Andie. Were they actually taking the threat that lightly ?

And her friend smiled to her, as to say 'Go on!' So she went on.

"Ok. I went back at the end of the first month of the first term. I had missed the first DADA lessons, so I went to see the Professor, Professor Toothill," she added, with a mischievous wink at Andie, "to excuse myself and ask what it had been about, and the homework we had to do. He explained me that for the second lesson, he had given the students a potion that made people meet their bad and good sides. I took it. First part, uneventful."

Andie looked at her parents, and noticed they weren't really listening. Why had they wanted the girls to tell the story if they weren't paying any attention to them?

But she turned her attention back to Orion, who was still talking.

"Second. At the end of November, while I was still alone, I received an owl from a guy also named Orion, challenging me to duel. Just because we had the same first name. Poor little annoyed thing he was. Anyway, as I couldn't duel yet, I declined and he proposed a meeting instead. So we met one afternoon and talked about things, mostly our lives. He told me about what had happened to him during his life. How his parents were killed and how he was tortured by Death Eaters."

She interrupted herself when she saw her parents gaping.

"You actually know about them ?" Manon asked.

Andie shook her head. Did they really think they hadn't learned a thing at school this year? She glanced at Orion, who answered.

"Indeed. Besides Dad and Mom had told me a little about them. Anyway, we separated and I went to bed. The day after, me dear friend here finally returned, in such a bad state, so worried and tired that, along with some other bad news, she broke down. I tried to comfort her and we spent the night together."

She made a vacuous smile before carrying on.

"Anyway. The day after, we had a DADA lesson. The last one actually. Andie just watched, as she had missed most of classes. Leon made us wander into the Dark Corridors he always uses to get to the different floors. No wand, in the total dark. I hadn't slept very well the night before, but I went there anyway. And I panicked, everything came up in my mind, every little thing that had happened during the previous weeks. It overwhelmed me and I became paranoid. Not so nice... I began to hear a mean and unbearable voice, I thought it was a student first. It was saying horrible things, about Andie and about who had attacked you two. The Death Eaters. And it said that you, my parents, would be the next ones. I was scared, but I carried on walking and at one moment, I saw a faint light. Thinking it was the exit, I rushed. I just wanted this drilling voice to stop, and leave the Dark Corridors. But as I ran closer and closer to the light, I was able to distinguish two forms, and finally realized they were my doubles. From the second lesson. I have no idea of how this happened. I just know I hadn't taken any potion."

She had to hold her breath not to sob, and Andie was beginning to feel really worried about her friend. She was taking the whole story far too seriously!

Orion paused to take a sip of her tea, while her parents were looking at her, concerned.

"As I was exhausted, I just slipped on the floor to rest and they began to talk with me, reassuring me and telling me this voice was only the voice of all my fears combined. When I finally left the corridors, I went to the Astronomy Tower, I wanted to watch the stars, to calm myself. Andie soon guessed where I was and joined me. I told her about the whole story. Then we started worrying."

Orion looked at her parents.

"It's partly because of that I didn't come home for Christmas, I was so angry. I would have behaved like a brat, I don't think it would have been kind. Now Andie, you carry on, no voice anymore."

Orion grinned and drank more tea.

Andie smiled and continued.

"Well, thanks, you left me the most difficult part. When I heard about the idea, it repulsed me. I couldn't believe it. We spent several minutes considering if that all was true, and if yes, how we could check it. As we were afraid, we thought it was better to reveal that too big secret to a qualified person, such as a teacher. And who could know a lot about Death Eaters ? A DADA Professor. So I proposed Orion to go and pay a visit to..."

"That Leon guy. You should call him Professor." her mom interrupted.

"He doesn't want to. Oh, and by the way, there are two of them. DADA Professors, I mean. His better half's name is Derek Trimble. But my first choice was Leon, yes. Even if I think Professor Trimble would have been a better choice...

Anyways, we got caught by homework, I had to catch up everything, so we kept it at bay. After the Christmas vacations, I had to work a lot, I was late. Several weeks later, we finally found the time to send him an owl to set up an appointment. As he was busy too, it was delayed until one month ago.

We told him the whole story and he kind of understood what the problem was. And he thought if that was true, we needed to talk to one of the Aurors who are at school...

Bref, during all those months, we just thought about that, it plagued us in a nasty way. We thought we would be able to drown it in homework, but no. So here, now I'm gonna explain what we think really happen.

Though, to be honest, Orion has been much more affected than me by all that! But after all, she's the one to have seen and heard things!..."

Andie turned to her friend, not wanting her to be mad, but she had to say it. To tell she didn't really believe all that Death Eaters stuff... So she started talking again, looking at her father, hoping they would all understand how and why they had come to such conclusions...

"First of all, as Orion underlined it, we don't understand why you prevented us form communicating during three years. We didn't know the fact we were witches, so why didn't you let us at least write to each other ? We're sure you kept in touch, with owls of course, but why not us ?

Second, concerning the Hogwarts Express. You knew we were both going to Hogwarts, but you decided for an unknown reason not to meet at King's Cross Station. This is another question. We met in the train with Orion after a few hours' trip, but why not before. Why that?

Third. Mamy and Paps sent us an owl immediately after your accident, and we were told to transmit it to Aoki and Altaïr right after reading it. We had just time to get the permission from the Headmaster to get back to France, we took the Knight Bus and were at the hospital half an hour later."

There she turned to Orion's parents, and pointed them with her finger.

"But you were there already. I know owls can fly fast sometimes, but not fast enough to cross Great Britain and Ireland and reach you in less an hour. Ok, you could answer you apparated, but we won't believe you.

And what really surprised us when we thought closely about it, was the rapidity of your return after three years of silence.

Of course, we weren't as informed as we are today, but still.

So Orion was sure you were with Dad and Mom when it happened. Possibly in separate cars, that would explain why you were unarmed."

Andie shrugged there, and turned back to her own parents to finish her speech.

"Fourth, you sent Orion back at school and agreed I could stay for two or three more weeks. But Sarah fell and you wouldn't let me go. I can't understand neither that,nor the fact I couldn't write to Orion one single time. You kept sending her very short letters, not informing her about what was happening.

Here we are..

Now, concerning Death Eaters, we're not sure about that. As we told Leon, we don't have any solid bases. I mean, the whole thing lies upon what Orion heard. But as time went by, we found it more and more relevant. In a way, it was the only thing that linked up the different elements of our story. The only explanation we found to the entire... thing."

Andie let a devilish smile creep upon her face. She was surprised how good she felt right now, much better than for the whole school year...

So she gestured towards them.

"Here it is, now your turn."


End file.
